


Love me under the moonlight

by AlbafikaCinderella



Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Established Relationship, Ferdibert Week 2020 (Fire Emblem), Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route Spoilers, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, M/M, Nightmares, Psychological Trauma, Rescue, Soft Hubert von Vestra, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:14:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25840420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlbafikaCinderella/pseuds/AlbafikaCinderella
Summary: [Story created for the Ferdibert Week 2020 based on the prompts of days 3, 4, 5 and 6]Ferdinand is kidnapped by Those Who Slither in the Dark and Hubert tries to save him. However, things are never that easy, neither for Hubert nor for Ferdinand.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg & Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand von Aegir & Hubert von Vestra, Ferdinand von Aegir/Hubert von Vestra
Comments: 2
Kudos: 25
Collections: Ferdibert Week 2020





	1. Rescue

It was a good day. Maybe too sunny for Hubert’s liking, but still nice. He was going through some documents necessary for his future plan of attack against Those Who Slither in the Dark while enjoying his second coffee. The entire imperial palace was silent, not even a single person had bothered him that morning. When Ferdinand was there, silence was impossible since the young Prime Minister always paid him a visit (or two) between breakfast and lunch. Ferdinand’s mere presence altered the whole court, although Hubert did not see it as a bad thing at all. He appreciated the current serenity; however, he could not avoid missing their afternoon tea parties.

Ferdinand had departed to his family’s duchy a week ago. He had planned to visit his sister, Duchess Aegir, and make sure everything went well. He had used his role as Prime Minister as an excuse, saying it would be a professional trip just like those he made to other duchies and old territories of the Kingdom and the Alliance once in a while to check whether there were any problems. Nevertheless, this time he did not manage to trick anyone. It was a well-known fact that the Aegir siblings were really close and wanted to see each other. If Hubert was right, Ferdinand would have arrived at the duchy two days ago and he would send news soon. Hubert did not expect it though, he knew Ferdinand too well. He was sure news would arrive later instead of sooner, at least until a tired soldier opened the doors of his office and gave him a letter.

“Minister! Lady Aegir sends you this, it’s urgent.”

That was weird. He should have received a letter from Ferdinand, not his sister’s. Hubert opened it, breaking the characteristic stamp of the Aegir family with crest of Saint Cichol on it. The date was yesterday’s. It was not a long letter, only some lines written in hurried italics: _We found Ferdinand’s horse, Bucephalus, this morning. Ferdinand was not riding it. I have a bad feeling._

“You,” Hubert said to the soldier once he had read the letter several times, “I want my horse ready. I am going to talk to the Emperor.”

“Yes, sir!”

Hubert stood and headed towards Edelgard’s office. He suspected who had done this and he did not like it. He did not even bother to knock; he simply opened the doors and made leave two nobles who were discussing economic matters with the Emperor.

“Huber, what’s wrong? Is everything okay?”

“Read this, it’s from Lady Aegir.”

“Ferdinand has gone missing? I mean, how?”

“I have been naïve. I should not have let him go without escort. Those Who Slither in the Dark have been acting lately, I should have known better.”

“Nobody is to blame, Hubert, we all hoped Ferdinand was strong enough to defend himself. He is one of the best after all.” Edelgard sighed. “But you are right, we should have seen it coming. Linhardt was attacked two week ago, how could we think it would be a one-time thing? We were not this blind before.”

“Caspar protected him and defeated the whole group alone. We became reckless and believed we could win easily.” Hubert touched his hair, frustrated. “I do not know if they are aware that we know where they are or that we do not have the means to fight them, but I do not care. Ferdinand should have arrived at this family’s house two days ago, I will not leave him the any longer. I am going to rescue him.”

“It’s a suicide quest but you know it, right?”

“Of course I know.” Hubert smiled. “He gave me a new reason to live, Lady Edelgard, I am going to rescue him at any cost.”

“Fine,” the Emperor sighed once again. “Jeritza and the professor are going with you, they will distract them so you can free Ferdinand. I do not accept your replies. Come on, get ready, you cannot allow yourself to lose more time. Who knows what those monsters are doing to Ferdinand.”

“I must confess, Lady Edelgard, that my horse is ready.”

“You never change, Hubert, always one step ahead all of us.”

“You know me too well. I will wait half an hour, as you said, I do not have time to waste, not when my lover’s life is at risk.”

***

It was cold in that prison. He did not know how long he had been there, he only knew it was really cold. He had tried to resist, however, he had given up due to both physical and mental exhaustion. He barely felt his arms, which were hooked to the wall by shackles. He had hurt his wrists with them trying to escape when he first arrived there. He did not even feel the wounds on his torso, although he knew that would change once those bastards came to collect his blood and reopened them. He ignored why they needed his blood, but at least they had not drained him at once. There was still a chance. If Bucephalus had managed to run away and arrive on its own to his family’s duchy, there was still a chance.

He wanted to leave as soon as possible. It was not noble to admit he was scared, but the situation was totally terrifying. He had never approved Edelgard and Hubert’s decision to ally with Those Who Slither in the Dark, since he, just like Flayn, wore the crest of one of the four saints. He had always known he was a potential victim, that they could go after him any time. His only hope was to be stronger than them, which, obviously, was not the case. If he was, he would not be trapped in an icy smelly prison cell and covered in dry blood. He almost considered praying to the goddess they had destroyed to ask her for mercy and beg her to help him. He simply wanted to be rescued before another torture session.

“Ferdinand!”

Ferdinand started welling up with tears. Hubert was there and he was opening the door. He felt as if his prayers had been answered. Hubert kneeled beside him and freed his writs with a key Ferdinand supposed had stolen from some guard. Unavoidably, he collapsed in Hubert’s arms and closed his eyes, not yet sleeping but allowing his hurt body to finally relax.

“Hubie,” he whispered.

“I’m here, Ferdinand, I’m here.”

“I want to take a bath. How long have I been without a bath? My hair is a mess.”

“I do not think you want to know it.” Hubert caressed the redhead’s sleepy face and kissed his forehead tenderly. “You are safe now, Ferdie, I am taking you home.”

And Ferdinand fell sleep in that very moment. In Hubert’s arms, his rival, his lover, his rescuer.


	2. Pain, hurt and comfort

Ferdinand woke up on a soft mattress with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. He could easily recognise the touch of the sheets and the colour of the walls. He knew where he was. He remembered returning to the imperial palace and being able to finally have a bath, albeit vaguely. With a satisfying smile, he sank his head in the bed pillows. Ferdinand loved his pillows, even though Hubert usually said there were too many. His hair, silky and smelling like hibiscus, was going to get messy if he was careless but he did not care at all about that right now. He was home, and Hubert was reading a book and enjoying a cup of coffee just some metres away. Ferdinand was almost scared that everything would be in fact a cruel dream and when he opened his eyes he would be back in that cold prison where he was the last few days. He wanted to move and walk towards Hubert. Touch him. Hug him. Kiss him. Prove this was real.

“Hubie,” he whispered.

“Have you woken up already?” The mage closed the book and sat at the edge of the bed. “How are you feeling?”

“It hurts so much I think I am going to die,” he answered with a bright smile.

“It must be disappointing, then, that I am not going to let you die,” Hubert replied, touching Ferdinand’s hair tenderly. “You are quiet. You are never quiet, talk.”

“If I speak, you criticise me. If I don’t speak, you criticise me too. What is wrong with you, honestly?” Ferdinand caught Hubert’s hand and kissed it. “Thanks for saving me.”

“I will always save you, Ferdie, always. You are the most important thing I have, trust my words. I would like to show you how much I love, but you know that I am quite useless in this discipline.”

“In this and in many others, unlike me.”

“Unlike you, of course, because you are-“

“Because I am Ferdinand von Aegir!” interrupted the redhead.

“I am already regretting asking you to talk. I liked you better when you were silent as a tomb.”

“I am sorry to tell you but speaking distracts me from the pain, so I will not shut up now.”

“Do you want me to call a healer? They may give you something to reduce the pain.”

“Not necessary, although I’m in the mood for tea.”

“Okay, I will bring you a cup of camomile. I will be back soon, do not leave the bed.”

Hubert exited the room and Ferdinand sat down, which was normally a simple action except this time. His torso was full of bandages and superficial wounds that would be healed in a couple of days thanks to magic. Arms were the worst but at least he felt them, not like when he had had them in shackles. Ferdinand shivered. He should not think about that. It had been a horrifying experience, and it had been only a few days. He could not imagine the effects that would have caused him being there more time (weeks, months or even years). They should have killed them a long time ago. Who knows how many people they had hurt all these years. Ferdinand closed his eyes and tried to push those thoughts aside. Nothing good would come from them.

“You seem disturbed,” Hubert’s voice said.

“Sorry, I did not realise you were back.”

“Well, that is obvious. Here, drink.”

“Thanks. For everything.”

“Stop thanking me, Ferdinand.” Hubert kissed his forehead. “Everything will be alright.”

And Ferdinand chose to trust his words.


	3. Nightmares

The first thing Ferdinand felt when he opened his eyes was cold, one he was already familiar with. He was still wearing his bed clothes, a loose-fitting linen shirt and breeches. However, he was not in the prison cell but in a different room, a clean room full of terrifying goods. The torture room. His limbs were tied to a table with leather straps so tight that hurt. Ferdinand tried to free himself but it was impossible. He closed his eyes again. He was dreaming, he must be dreaming. Those Who Slither in the Dark had been defeated two months ago. Hubert, Jeritza and the professor had rescued him and had killed every one last of them, nobody had been left alive. Besides, he was safe at the imperial palace, even if any would be able to escape, he was untouchable now.

But knowing it was just a dream was of little comfort. A hooded person appeared in front of him with a loosely sharp dagger. He had always been cut with that kind of weapons while he was trapped. Had their only goal to collect his blood, they would have used sharp knives which would cause clean cuts on his skin. Clearly, that had not been the case. Loosely sharp weapons did not cut well, so the wounds were dirty and far more painful. Ferdinand’s suffering had been one of their priorities from the very beginning. The redhead twisted when he remembered that dagger. He could only shout when the edge stabbed his chest. The process was repeated once and again, once and again, once and again, until Ferdinand became unable to keep his head clear. Was it really a dream? He was not sure anymore.

He woke up in is bed. He sat down and tried to normalise his breath. It was not the first time he had had nightmares with Those Who Slither in the Dark, though they had never felt this real before. He was scared and hated it, because it made him feel as powerless as a damsel in mistress. He looked at Hubert, sleeping next to him. The moonlight came through the window and lighted up his quiet face. Hubert knew nothing about Ferdinand’s disturbing dream. Ferdinand used to sleep with the curtains covering the windows; however, after days of absolute darkness, he had missed the lights of the night. The moon and the stars had somehow turned into his lifesaving. They reminded him that his nightmares were not real, that he was strong enough to overcome it. Ferdinand lay on the bed again but he could not fall asleep.


	4. Moonlight

Hubert woke up in the middle of the night, which was common for him. One of the problems of drinking so much coffee during the day was that he rarely slept through the whole night. When he opened his eyes, he normally found Ferdinand’s sleepy face or, otherwise, his back. Sometimes he found the redhead sitting next to him and breathing heavily, maybe even on the verge of crying. That night, however, Hubert was alone. He touched the empty side of the bed, it was still warm. Hubert sat down and saw that the balcony glass door was opened. Ferdinand was there. The mage stood and took a shawl which had been left on a couch before walking towards his lover.

When Hubert went into the balcony, he covered Ferdinand with the shawl. The Prime Minister had his hair braided over his shoulder and some locks had escaped the bow and now fell all over his face. His garments were thin, only breeches and a linen shirt that showed most of Ferdinand’s chest. He looked at Hubert when he felt the extra layer and smiled at him, although it was a melancholic smile, not a happy one.

“You should not go out dressed like this, nights are already chilly.”

“I’m sorry, I had a nightmare and could not go back to sleep,” Ferdinand answered while resting against Hubert’s chest. “But I am fine now. I just needed to calm down.”

“You could have woken me, I would have prepared you a cup of tea.” The mage kissed Ferdinand’s head tenderly.

“I didn’t want to be bothersome. Besides, the moon helps me too.”

“The moon?” Hubert laughed. “You really are strange.”

“Don’t laugh at me. It reminds me that I am no longer there, that I am alive and they are not. It was always dark in that cell, there was… no light. I am still a bit uncomfortable at night because it takes me back to that place. The single difference is that night does have light, the moon is always up there, you see? So I must not be afraid, there will be no more darkness.”

Hubert smiled and looked up the sky. There were not many stars, however, a huge crescent moon shone. If there was light in the darkness, no matter how small, there would be hope. Was not that one of the creeds of the goddess they had destroyed?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I know chapters are really short and there is basically no plot, I'm sorry for that. I just wanted to indulge myself and write some Ferdibert for the first time. Also, English is not my first language, so dialogues have been hell for me, I'm not sure I wrote them properly. In spite all of that, I hope you've enjoyed the story!


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